| The paper briefly summarizes the work on mechanism for enhancing biological removal of phosphorus. Release of phosphate from sludge primarily depends on the nature of substrate interacting with the polyp bacteria, not on creation of an anaerobic state per se. In the anaerobic state, the readily biodegradable soluble COD can be converted to terminal products(acetate and NADH + H+)of EM pathway by acidogenic microflora. The accumulated NADH + H+ Will stop the EM reaction and/or kill bacteria. Poly-p bacteria will utilize poly-p for energy to absorb these terminal products and convert them into poly-βb-hydroxybutyrate(PHB)in cell. The phosphate release takes place at the same time. In the presence of oxygen(or NO3-N)PHB will be degraded to produce energy. The energy can be used for phosphate uptake and poly-p synthesis. The magnitude of phosphate uptake is proportional to that of anaerobic phosphate release(2.4 mg P uptake/mg P released). |
